The most precious piece of Nepalese art ….. The Paubha

I found this insightful piece on a Heritage Art form originating in Nepal. Some of you may think that this looks Tibetan, or Ladakhi or even from Sikkim, but the article told me I was wrong in many ways. Read on, if art and history interest you, as they interest me, and I’m sure you’ll appreciate how art travels and inspires across borders.

Paubha are religious paintings of Buddhist or Hindu figures or scenes originating from Nepal over 1000 years ago. The oldest surviving examples are in museums dating back to the 13th Century. They are mostly associated with the Newar people of central Kathmandu in the Ason area, a lively bustling community with buildings that still look medieval in form. They have their own language sounding more Chinese than Nepali with their own script too. My wife, Champa, is a Newar.

Champa’s family home, Ason, Kathmandu.

This Paubha is hung in the hall of our home; it is 90cm x 70cm painted on silk and framed behind glass. It was stretched, tied to a frame, and preserved as soon as we received it. It was a wedding gift to us from Champa’s mother, and we have been married for 45 years. Laxmi was about 75 when she gave it to us…

About your last post, what happened to you? I sent you two emails regarding corrections and your inputs about it, you never responded. I even left you messages on your blog, but I heard nothing for you. Eventually, I never posted it because there was no response at your end. Please check your emails and lets ensure that there is connectivity this time 🙂